Just four white-taxi drivers have been disciplined by Transport Malta so far this year for carrying passengers without using meters.
The Sunday Times of Malta recently found drivers demanding excessive upfront fares when it carried out an exercise at three taxi ranks around the capital.
In recorded conversations, just one in six drivers reluctantly offered to turn on his meter after several minutes of negotiations. The others quoted prices up to €12 above the estimated meter fare.
Despite the drivers brazenly asking for upfront fares in that exercise, Transport Malta said it was difficult to fine drivers because the Enforcement Directorate received complaints from tourists after they had left Malta.
As a result, it was “not always able to issue administrative fines as we cannot take action on the basis of hearsay”, said a spokesman for Transport Malta, which regulates white taxis.
Since January, the directorate has issued one contravention and reprimanded three drivers for not using meters.
By law, white taxi drivers must use their meters unless departing from one of two functioning ticketing booths at the airport and the cruise terminal.
Fares are calculated by the meter at €1.40 per kilometre for the first eight kilometres and €1 per kilometre afterwards, plus an initial fare of €3.50.
All 300 white taxis were supposed to have new equipment including meters, tracking devices and CCTV cameras fitted as part of reforms that came into force in November 2010.
The reforms were made by the previous government in an effort to stamp out abuse in the industry. The new equipment would have made it much easier for Transport Malta to monitor irregularities.
But almost three years later, just 166 taxis have had the devices fitted, according to Alberta, the company that won the tender to supply and install the equipment.
Installations had been suspended last November after several drivers complained that the equipment was prematurely flattening their batteries.
An Alberta spokesman said the company had fulfilled its obligations in terms of hardware and software.
Transport Malta would only say that installations were on hold because of “issues”, and discussions were ongoing with Taxi Licensed White Amalgamated, the association representing the taxis.
Questions sent to the Transport Ministry on Monday had not been answered at the time of writing.
Among other things, the ministry was asked whether it had made a pre-electoral agreement with the white taxi association to halt the installations.
Minister Joe Mizzi’s spokesman said he was abroad.